Le Corbusier Roof-Spaces

From technical solution, the roof-garden became a key spatial theme within Le Corbusier’s work and creativity, evolving to become a fundamental component of his vision for the contemporary city. The roof garden is an open space in which to cultivate both the mind and body, and to experience a direct relationship with nature; through plants, the sky, and the sun, the urban and the natural world are combined together in the surroundings. This article follows the principal steps of Le Corbusier’s research, starting with his initial experimentation in his own apartment studio in rue Nungesser-et-Coli, through to the complex development at the Unité. It follows how the roof garden becomes an optical device toward the horizon and a strong evocative instrument. The relationship with the nature and the horizon are the key of readings of several selected design projects which demonstrate at the same time the continuity of the research and the richness of the variations on the theme itself. The roof garden is one of the most fertile topics of Le Corbusier’s legacy, evident in contemporary architectural developments.